Live updates (closed)
The Times of Israel liveblogging Friday’s events as they happened.
Rocket sirens activate in community near Gaza due to false alarm
Rocket sirens were activated in the community of Talmei Yosef, near the Gaza Strip, a short time ago.
The military says the sirens were the result of a false alarm. No rocket was launched and no damage occurred.
Palestinians report man killed in clashes with IDF in Hebron area
There are reports of clashes between IDF troops and Palestinians in the Hebron area.
Palestinians say a man was killed during clashes. in Beit Ummar.
Defiant Biden vows to stay in race despite growing revolt
President Joe Biden walks down the steps of Air Force One at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Biden is returning to his home in Rehoboth Beach, Del., to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
US President Joe Biden pledges to stay in the White House race, defying a growing Democratic party revolt that has raised speculation he could bow out as soon as this weekend.
“The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win,” the 81-year-old says in a statement from the Delaware beach home where he is in Covid isolation.
“I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail next week,” Biden adds, as his doctor says the president is bouncing back from the symptoms of the disease.
But Biden’s political health appears to be in far worse shape, with ten more House Democrats and two senators joining the list of lawmakers publicly calling on him to quit November’s election clash with Donald Trump.
Biden aide: PM’s speech to Congress next week won’t look like one he gave in 2015
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks against the US-led international nuclear deal with Iran in 2015 before a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 3, 2015. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says he expects Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress next week will not look like the one the premier gave in 2015.
That speech was marred by controversy after it was organized by then-Israeli ambassador to the US and current Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer with then-Republican House speaker John Boehner behind the back of then-president Barack Obama so that Netanyahu could lobby against the Iran nuclear deal being advanced by the administration.
The speech drove a wedge between Israel and the Democratic party with nearly 60 Democrats boycotting the speech. It is still cited today by some left-leaning lawmakers as having caused longstanding harm to the bipartisan nature of the US-Israel relationship.
An even larger number of Democrats are expected to boycott this speech, as Netanyahu comes to Washington leading what is largely considered the most right-wing government in Israel’s history — one that flatly rejects a two-state solution, which the Biden administration is still seeking to advance.
Still, Sullivan says, “Our expectation is that his speech will be one that doesn’t look like 2015. It will look like what it should in the circumstances of today. That is how the US and Israel are trying together to face down a terrorist threat, [how we’re] coordinat[ing] together on the regional challenges that both of our countries are facing and how we’re continuing to work toward the ceasefire and hostage deal.”
When Dermer and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi were in Washington last week, they “gave us a broad preview of what the prime minister is intending to say in his speech,” Sullivan says.
“They said he’s intending to reinforce a set of themes and arguments that are not at odds or in contradiction to our policy, but they’re going to keep working [on] that speech until the very last minute, just like we do on our side.”
While he acknowledges that the US won’t receive a copy of the speech ahead of time, Sullivan says, “I expect to have constructive conversations with the Israeli government in the days leading up to the speech.”
Sullivan: Overriding focus of Netanyahu-Biden meeting will be hostage deal
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks at the Aspen Security Forum on July 19, 2024. (Screen capture/YouTube)
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan says the “overriding focus” of next week’s meeting between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be the hostage release and ceasefire deal currently on the table between Israel and Hamas.
“The President will focus his energy with Prime Minister Netanyahu on what it is going to take working together… and then the US working with the other mediators to get this deal done in the coming weeks,” Sullivan says during a fireside chat at the Aspen Security Forum.
Sullivan explains that the blueprint to the proposal was laid out by Biden in a speech in late May; the US then rallied global support for the deal and secured Israel’s commitment to it in June and then obtained a commitment from Hamas to the “broad framework” earlier this month.
“There are details to be worked through,” he acknowledges.
“As you heard from Secretary Blinken earlier today, we believe there is an opportunity to get it done,” he says.
“We are mindful that there remain obstacles in the way. Let’s use next week to try to clear through those obstacles and get to a deal,” Sullivan adds.
Asked how optimistic he is about a deal, Sullivan responds, “I have learned the hard way, never to use the word optimism in the same sentence as the Middle East.”
“We have our best opportunity now that we have had since the last brief hostage deal in November to get to an outcome. It is there for the taking.”
“The broad framework is well understood and broadly agreed. The real issue is can we work through the politics on both sides, the psychology on both sides and frankly, the practicalities of executing something as complex as a ceasefire in a circumstance like this,” Sullivan continues. “I believe the answer to those questions is ‘yes.’… We’re not going to rest until we have this thing in place, and sooner rather than later.”
Washington Post deletes tweet panning parents of hostage for not discussing ‘Israel’s assault on Gaza’
Ronen Neutra (L) and Orna Neutra, whose son Omer is being held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza, speak during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, on July 17, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)
The Washington Post has deleted a tweet that appeared to criticize the parents of American-Israeli hostage Omer Neutra for not discussing “Israel’s assault on Gaza” in their public campaign to bring about their son’s release.
“Omer Neutra has been missing since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. When his parents speak publicly, they don’t talk about Israel’s assault on Gaza that has killed over 38,000 Palestinians, according to local officials. Experts have warned of looming famine,” the original tweet read.
Earlier this morning, the paper deleted the tweet and posted a new one that read, “Omer Neutra, an American hostage in the Israel-Hamas war, has been missing since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. His parents have mounted a relentless effort to get him released, speaking to anyone who might be able to support their cause.”
The new tweet still refers to Neutra as “missing,” though the story it links to refers to him as a hostage.
“We’ve deleted a previous tweet for this story that mischaracterized the efforts of Neutra’s parents,” the Post adds in a separate post.
IDF says fighter jets targeted Hezbollah weapons depots in southern Lebanon
Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah weapon depots in southern Lebanon’s Tayr Harfa and Blida a short while ago, the IDF says.
It publishes footage of the strikes.
Israeli fighter jets struck Hezbollah weapon depots in southern Lebanon's Tayr Harfa and Blida a short while ago, the IDF says. pic.twitter.com/gAVeWkIDmV
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 19, 2024
PA’s Abbas calls ICJ ruling against Israel a ‘triumph for justice’
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on February 5, 2024 (Nasser Nasser / POOL / AFP)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas hails today’s ICJ ruling that Israel’s presence in the territories is illegal.
Abbas in a statement calls the decision “a triumph for justice.”
The PA president “urges the international community to compel Israel, the occupying power, to fully and immediately end its occupation and colonial project without conditions or exceptions.”
He says the “ruling underscores the rejection of Israeli occupation, the recent Israeli Knesset decision (rejecting Palestinian statehood), and US policies supporting Israeli occupation and rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
US antisemitism envoy knocks Blinken statement on AMIA bombing that condemned Islamophobia
Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt speaks during an event on Capitol Hill in Washington, February 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
US antisemitism envoy Deborah Lipstadt appears to criticize the statement marking the 30th anniversary of the AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires issued by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The statement condemned the bombing but also included a line panning “Islamophobia and all forms of hate.”
Asked about the statement in a briefing with reporters, Lipstadt first says she appreciated that such a senior US official weighed in on the matter in the first place. The statement also embraced the global guidelines for combating antisemitism, which Lipstadt led with over 30 other countries.
“I’m not going to talk about the internal process… You never want to know how the sausage is made, but in terms of the statement, it may not have been the way I would have phrased it,” she says.
“The most efficacious way of addressing it is to call something out by its name.
“I think it’s most efficacious to call out the specifics and then acknowledge, as the statement does, that a specific hatred doesn’t often stop with one group.”
“That’s really how I would have addressed the issues. But I think the statement in terms of its embrace, in the name of the United States Government, and its condemnation of the bombings, was very, very strong.”
In bid to pressure PM, Gallant said considering public announcement that hostage deal within reach
Relatives of Israelis held hostage by Hamas in Gaza and supporters protest for their release to mark the 20th birthday of hostage Nimrod Cohen, outside the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv, July 15, 2024. (Itai Ron/Flash90)
Channel 13 reports that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is considering making a public declaration that Israel is “within reach” of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement to try and add pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a deal.
Gallant believes that Hamas is interested in a deal, that the one on the table isn’t perfect but that the ground is ripe for an agreement, the network says.
In recent weeks, Netanyahu has made new demands regarding continued Israeli presence in the Philadelphi Corridor and the creation of a mechanism for preventing armed Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza that have slowed the talks, Arab and Israeli officials involved have told The Times of Israel.
UN chief condemns Tel Aviv drone attack claimed by Houthis
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres gives a press conference on the sidelines of the 2024 United Nations Civil Society Conference at the UN Headquarters in Nairobi on May 10, 2024. (Tony KARUMBA / AFP)
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Friday a drone strike on Tel Aviv claimed by Yemen’s Houthis that left one person dead, expressing concern over a possible further escalation, a spokesman says.
“The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the risk such dangerous acts pose for further escalation in the region,” says Farhan Haq, adding a call for “maximum restraint.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the strike.
Likud MK appears to mock victim of Houthi drone attack
File: Likud MK Nissim Vaturi speaks during a Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting on the ultra-Orthodox draft law at the Knesset, in Jerusalem on June 25, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Far-right Likud MK Nissim Vaturi appears to mock the victim of the overnight drone strike in Tel Aviv.
“I don’t know who he is, but if there is someone in his family who has protested [against the government this will probably serve as a wake-up call]. They must be asking themselves: how can I protest now that a member of my family has been killed?” Vaturi tells the 102-FM radio channel.
Vaturi appears to be suggesting that the victim or his family members had attended anti-government protests because he had been living in liberal-leaning Tel Aviv.
Yevgeny Ferder, 50, was killed when the Houthi drone fell near the Momo Hostel where he worked.
There is no evidence thus far that he or his family attended anti-government protests.
IDF chief said to push hostage deal in security briefing PM ended after 30 minutes due to late hour
From left -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, Minister of Defense Yoav Galant and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi attend a state memorial ceremony for Operation Protective Edge at the National Hall For Israel's Fallen in Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, July 16, 2024. (Shalev Shalom/POOL)
During a security briefing last night, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a hostage deal as soon as possible, the Walla news site reports.
The meeting started at 11:30 p.m., and Netanyahu ended it early after 30 minutes, saying he was tired, Walla reports.
In recent weeks, Netanyahu has made new demands regarding continued Israeli presence in the Philadelphi Corridor and the creation of a mechanism for preventing armed Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza that have slowed the talks, Arab and Israeli officials involved have told The Times of Israel.
Report: US quietly working to thwart Russia from arming Houthi rebels
US intelligence agencies are warning that Russia might try and arm Houthi rebels in retaliation for Washington’s support of Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing anonymous US officials.
The warning comes as US Central Command head Erik Kurilla warned Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a classified letter that US-led military operations to deter Houthi attacks in Mideast shipping routes are “failing,” the Journal reports, adding that the US has launched a quiet effort to thwart the potential Russian effort.
White House condemns ‘reckless’ strike in Tel Aviv, as Netanyahu remains mum
The White House condemned the recent strike in Israel, saying it “appears to be the latest in the Houthis’ reckless and destabilizing actions,” a National Security Council spokesperson says in a statement that also expresses sympathy for the victims.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the strike that killed one and injured others.
Blinken: Iran one-two weeks away from producing enough material for nuclear weapon
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicates he’s not optimistic about the chances for reform in Iran, despite its election of a relatively more moderate candidate, since the supreme leader is still the one who “calls the shots.”
“When this administration came in, we tried to pursue again, nuclear diplomacy with Iran, because if you could at least take one problem off the board, which is Iran potentially with a nuclear weapon, that’s inherently a good thing,” he says, blasting the Trump administration from withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.
“Instead of being at least a year away from having the breakout capacity of producing fissile material for a nuclear weapon, it is now probably one or two weeks away from doing that,” he tells the Aspen Security Forum, clarifying that they haven’t yet produced the weapon itself, which would take far more time.
Blinken reiterates that the US will not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, but still prefers the diplomatic route to preventing this scenario.
“What we need to see, if Iran is serious about engaging, is actually pulling back on the work that it’s been doing on his program.”
“Second, we have been maximizing pressure on Iran across the board. We’ve imposed more than 600 sanctions on Iranian persons and entities. We haven’t lifted a single sanction,” he asserts.
Two-state solution isn’t and cannot be dead, says Blinken
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insists that the two-state solution isn’t dead and can’t be.
There are some fundamental realities that we can’t escape: Between Gaza and the West Bank, there are somewhere over 5 million Palestinians. There are about 7 million Israeli Jews. Neither is going anywhere… There has to be an accommodation that brings lasting peace and security to Israelis who so desperately want it and need it and fulfills the right self-determination of the Palestinians.”
He says the Palestinian state cannot threaten Israel, or be ruled by Hamas or a Hezbollah-like terror group.
Blinken asserts that the two strongest opponents of a two-state solution are Iran and Hamas, “so the strongest possible rebuke… would be the realization of two states.”
He says the US is working to advance Israel’s integration in the region, indicating this requires movement on the Palestinian issue.
Blinken dodges questions on whether Netanyahu trying to drag out war to remain in power
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, May 1, 2024. (Haim Zach/GPO)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken indicates that the Biden administration will again be pushing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on planning for the post-war management of Gaza when the Israeli premier comes to Washington next week.
“We want to bring this (ceasefire) agreement over the finish line, but while that’s necessary, it’s also not enough because what’s critical once we get it, assuming we do, is to make sure that there’s a clear plan for what follows — the so-called day-after plan,” Blinken says at the Aspen Security Forum after being asked what the US will be trying to accomplish during Netanyahu’s visit.
He reiterates that failure to plan for the day after will lead to either Hamas remaining in power, Israel occupying Gaza, or a power vacuum filled by lawlessness.
Asked how the administration plans to deal with Netanyahu given his reticence to some of the key aspects of Washington’s Mideast agenda, Blinken says, “I’m not focused on personalities, I’m focused on policies.”
Pressed on whether Netanyahu would prefer to drag out the war to remain in power, Blinken avoids answering directly, noting that there is strong support in Israel for a hostage release and ceasefire deal.
Blinken: We’re inside 10-yard line in hostage talks, but last 10 yards the hardest
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addresses the Aspen Security Forum on July 19, 2024. (Screen capture/YouTube)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says “we’re inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line on getting an agreement that would produce a ceasefire, get the hostages home and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability.”
Blinken tells the Aspen Security Forum Israel and Hamas have agreed on a framework for a deal that was laid out by US President Joe Biden in May and that they’re now working to resolve remaining issues.
This is something that US officials have been asserting for the past week, but it’s unclear whether there has been a tangible improvement from where the sides were at the beginning of the the month when Hamas issued an updated hostage that drew optimism from Israel and mediating countries.
Then too, US officials said they were working on closing the gaps between the sides.
During this time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made new demands regarding continued Israeli presence in the Philadelphi Corridor and the creation of a mechanism for preventing armed Palestinians from returning to northern Gaza that have slowed the talks, Arab and Israeli officials involved have told The Times of Israel.
“The last 10 yards are often the hardest,” Blinken says in Aspen.
Gantz: ICJ ruling counterproductive to regional security; Liberman: Another antisemitic show
National Unity chairman Benny Gantz joins the chorus of Israeli lawmakers blasting today’s ICJ ruling rejecting Israeli presence in the territories.
“It is yet another testament to external interference that is not only both counterproductive to regional security and stability and overlooks the massacre of October 7th and terror from Judea and Samaria, but serves as another example of the ‘judicialization’ of a political conflict,” Gantz says.
“We vow to both continue defending ourselves in the face of those seeking our destruction and to protect the one and only Jewish State.”
Yisrael Beytenu chairman says the ruling was “another antisemitic show from the ICJ, which once again emphasized its blatant hypocrisy.
“While a war was launched against the State of Israel on six different fronts, the International Court of Justice in The Hague chose to launch its own campaign, the whole purpose of which is to harm Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism,” he says.
Settlers said to torch Palestinian fields in West Bank as ICJ rules on Israeli control of territories
Fields in the Palestinian village of Burin that were allegedly torched by settlers on July 19, 2024. (Screen capture/Yesh Din)
The Yesh Din rights group says Israeli settlers have torched fields belonging to Palestinians in the northern West Bank village of Burin.
The latest reported incident of settler violence comes as the World Court issues a ruling that blasts Israel for failing to reign in on such attacks and deems Israel’s presence in the territories to be illegal.
????????מתנחלים תוקפים את תושבי העיירה בורין וחווארה, הבעירו אש באדמות חקלאיות ושרפו עצי זית, האש הגיעה לפתאי הבתים וסיכנה את חיי התושבים. pic.twitter.com/oSUl1Zye4w
— Asslan Khalil (@KhalilAsslan) July 19, 2024
Responding to ‘false’ ICJ ruling, PM says Jewish people can’t be occupiers in their own land
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conference at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, July 13, 2024. (Dudu Bachar/POOL)
Responding to the ICJ ruling that found Israeli presence in the territories to be illegal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says: “The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land — not in our eternal capital Jerusalem, not in the land of our ancestors in Judea and Samaria.”
“No false decision in The Hague will distort this historical truth, just as the legality of Israeli settlement in all the territories of our homeland cannot be contested,” Netanyahu adds.
IDF says it killed intel officer of Hamas’s Gaza city brigade in airstrike yesterday
The intelligence officer of Hamas’s Gaza City Brigade was killed in an airstrike yesterday, the IDF and Shin Bet announce.
According to the IDF, Adil Hamdiya was among several Hamas terrorists targeted at a United Nations compound in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, a strike the military issued a statement on last night.
Hamdiya served in the role of chief of intelligence in the Gaza City Brigade since 2019, and was responsible for collecting intelligence on Israel ahead of the October 7 onslaught, according to the IDF and Shin Bet.
Amid the war, Hamdiya directed Hamas attacks against IDF troops in Gaza, and worked to collect intelligence on Israel’s ground maneuver, according to the military.
Following the strike yesterday, the IDF said it carried out “many steps” to mitigate harm to civilians, including using aerial surveillance and “precision munitions.”
In recent weeks, more than 50 airstrikes have been carried out against Hamas sites embedded within schools and other sites used as shelters for civilians, according to the IDF.
Israeli presence in territories is illegal and must end, World Court says
The World Court says in a non-binding advisory opinion that Israel’s continued presence in the territories is illegal and that it should come to an end “as rapidly as possible.”
“The sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power through its annexation and assertion of permanent control over occupied Palestinian territory, and its continued frustration of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination violates fundamental principles of international law, and renders Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory unlawful,” the court determines in its ruling.
“This illegality relates to the entirety of Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in 1967. This is the territorial unit across which Israel has imposed policies and practices to fragment and frustrate the ability of the Palestinian people to exercise its right to self-determination, and over large swaths of which it has extended Israeli sovereignty in violation of international law.”
It also says Israel must make reparations for damages caused by its rule of the territories.
Smotrich, Ben Gvir call for annexing West Bank in response to ICJ ruling
File - Far-right leaders Itamar Ben Gvir (2-R) and Bezalel Smotrich at the Knesset on December 29, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Far-right ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir issue statements calling for annexing large parts of the West Bank in response to the International Court of Justice’s ruling that Israeli policy in the territories violates international law.
IDF: Over 200 drones, cruise missiles have been launched at Israel from Yemen since Oct. 7
Since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip, more than 200 drones and cruise missiles have been launched from Yemen at Israel, according to IDF data.
One cruise missile struck near Eilat in March, and one drone struck Tel Aviv overnight.
The IDF says the vast majority of the threats were intercepted by US forces and in a handful of cases by Israeli fighter jets and ground-based air defense systems.
Israel’s policies amount to annexation of large parts of Palestinian territories – World Court
The ICJ also finds that Israel has annexed large parts of the West Bank, which it says violates international law and the prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force.
“Israel’s extension of its domestic law to the West Bank, notably to the settlements and over settlers, as well as its assumption of broad regulatory powers by virtue of the prolonger character of the occupation, entrenches its control of the occupied territory,” the court finds.
“The court comes to the conclusion that Israel’s policies and practices, including maintenance and expansion of settlements, the construction of associated infrastructure and the [security] wall, the exploitation of natural resources, the proclamation of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, the comprehensive application of Israeli domestic law in East Jerusalem and its extensive application in the West Bank, entrench Israeli control of the occupied Palestinians territories, notably of East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank,” it continues.
These practices are designed to remain in place indefinitely and to create irreversible effects on the ground, it maintains.
“Consequently, the court considers that these policies amount to annexation of large parts of occupied Palestinian territory.”
“To seek to acquire sovereignty over occupied territory as shown by Israeli policies in East Jerusalem and the West Bank is contrary to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations and the non-acquisition of territory by force.”
Ruling that settlement policy violates international law, ICJ raps Israel for failing to prevent settler violence
Israel's legal team waits to hear the arguments of South Africa's legal team as part of South Africa case against Israel over Rafah offensive at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, on May 16, 2024. (Nick Gammon/AFP)
The ICJ rules in its decision on the legality of Israeli rule in the Palestinian territories that its settlement policy violates international law.
“The nature of Israel’s acts, including that Israel frequently confiscates land following the demolition of Palestinian property for reallocation to Israeli settlements indicates that its measures are not temporary in character and therefore cannot be considered as permissible under the Fourth Geneva Convention,” the court finds.
The court also says that violence by settlers against Palestinians, and Israel’s “failure to prevent and punish it effectively,” contributes to a “coercive environment against Palestinians.”
“In light of the above, the court affirms that Israeli settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem and the regime associated with them have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law,” the court finds.
IDF spokesman: Iran funding, arming, directing terror proxies to attack Israel and wider world
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari issues an English-language video statement regarding the overnight Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv, which left an Israeli man dead and others wounded.
“Iran is funding, arming and directing its terror proxies in their attacks on Israel and the wider world. We will not allow Iran and its proxies to terrorize our civilians, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect Israel’s people and borders,” he says.
ICJ: Israeli policy in the territories violates international law
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), holds public hearings on the request for an advisory opinion on Israel's presence in the West Bank, from February 19 to 26, 2024 at the Peace Palace in The Hague. (International Court of Justice)
The International Court of Justice, in its ruling on Israeli control of the Palestinian territories, has determined that Israel’s policies, including the requisition of land for settlements, violate The Hague Regulations, which are among the founding treaties of international law.
The ICJ notes in its decision on the legality of Israeli rule in the West Bank and East Jerusalem that there is “extensive evidence of Israel providing incentives” for its population to move to the Palestinian territories, and that “Israel regularly legalizes outposts established in defiance of domestic legislation.”
The court further notes that the expansion of settlements is based on the confiscation or requisition of large areas of land.
“The public property confiscated benefits the civilian population of settlers to the detriment of local population, and the court concludes that Israel’s land policies are not in conformity of 46, 52 and 55 of The Hague regulations.”
The World Court says Israel’s exploitation of natural resources in the territories is also in breach of international law.
Yemen’s Houthis say they carried out operation in the Gulf of Aden targeting ship
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree says that the rebel group carried out an operation in the Gulf of Aden targeting a vessel named Lobivia.
US envoy ‘shocked’ by ‘brazen’ Houthi drone attack that landed near embassy office
Caution tape surrounds debris at the scene of a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv, early July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Erik Marmor)
US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew tweets that he is “shocked by the brazen Houthi drone attack in Tel Aviv this morning.”
“We offer our condolences to the family members of the individual who passed away. We are thankful our US Embassy Branch Office personnel are all safe,” he adds.
The impact site was adjacent to a US diplomatic mission.
WATCH: ICJ set to rule on ‘legal consequences’ of Israeli rule in the territories
Judges arrive at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to rule on South Africa's request on a Rafah and wider Gaza war ceasefire, in The Hague, on May 24, 2024 (Nick Gammon / AFP)
The International Court of Justice, the legal organ of the UN, convenes to issue its ruling on the UN General Assembly’s request for an advisory opinion from the court on the “legal consequences” of Israel’s 56-year rule in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Authority lobbied the UN General Assembly to request the advisory opinion which was filed with the court in January 2023. The PA is seeking a ruling by the court that Israeli rule in the West Bank and East Jerusalem is illegal, and that Israel must end its control of those territories, dismantle Israeli settlements, and provide restitution to Palestinians who have been harmed by it.
The court may also issue an opinion on what the General Assembly’s request termed Israel’s “adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures,” which refers to the claim by the PA and its allies that Israel has established an apartheid system in its rule of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Advisory opinions are non-binding and have no direct legal consequences, but a ruling against Israel would be another blow to its international standing and the legitimacy of Israeli rule in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
It would likely give a headwind to the BDS movement and may provide further grist for legal suits in the domestic courts of different nations demanding arms embargoes, trade boycotts, and other sanctions.
An advisory opinion issued by the ICJ that the security barrier Israel built in the West Bank in the early 2000s, however, had little discernible impact.
IDF: Hezbollah launches some 65 rockets at northern Israel earlier today
Some 65 rockets were launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon at northern Israel today, the IDF says.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a series of barrages in what it says was a response to recent IDF strikes in southern Lebanon.
According to the IDF, several rockets were shot down by the Iron Dome air defense system, while others impacted open areas.
No injuries were caused, and troops shelled the launch sites with artillery, the IDF says.
Later, a rocket launcher used in one of the barrages, against the community of Abirim, was targeted in a drone strike, alongside a building used by the terror group, in southern Lebanon’s Ayta ash-Shab, the military says.
Meanwhile, the IDF says fighter jets struck Hezbollah weapons depots in Blida and Houla. Another Hezbollah site was also struck in Houla, the IDF adds.
Some 65 rockets were launched by Hezbollah from Lebanon at northern Israel today, the IDF says.
Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a series of barrages, in what it says was a response to recent IDF strikes in southern Lebanon.
According to the IDF, several rockets were shot… pic.twitter.com/0fNyXcDQ1B
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 19, 2024
Israel welcomes EU move to condition aid to PA based on reform progress
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh receives the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in the city of Ramallah on June 14, 2022. (ABBAS MOMANI / AFP)
Israel welcomes the decision by the European Union to make a package of aid funding to the Palestinian Authority contingent on progress in the body’s reforms.
A statement from the Foreign Ministry says the decision is “an important first step which indicates European understanding and recognition of the need to ensure the implementation of reforms.”
Foreign Minister Israel Katz says that the move is “recognition that the current Palestinian Authority has failed deeply… this is a precedent-setting step and message from the EU to Abu Mazen [PA President Mahmoud Abbas]: if you want financial help, stop funding terror.”
The statement from the European Commission says that the PA reform strategy is aimed at “combatting corruption, advancing the rule of law and transparency, reforming the social security and education systems, improving the business environment, and strengthening the foundations of a market-based economy” and that the payments will be based on “progress towards the agreed-upon reform milestones.”
Russia sentences Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison in trial derided as sham
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Yekaterinburg, Russia, June 26, 2024. (AP)
A Russian court finds US reporter Evan Gershkovich guilty of espionage and jailed him for 16 years, state news agency RIA says, in a case that his employer, The Wall Street Journal, has called a sham.
Gershkovich, a 32-year-old Jewish American who denied any wrongdoing and said the allegations against him were false, went on trial last month in the city of Yekaterinburg.
Prosecutors alleged that Gershkovich had gathered secret information on the orders of the US Central Intelligence Agency about a company that manufactures tanks for Russia’s war in Ukraine. He is the first US journalist arrested on spying charges in Russia since the Cold War.
Espionage cases often take months to handle and the unusual speed at which his trial was held behind closed doors — today’s hearing was only the third in the trial — has stoked speculation that a long-discussed US-Russia prisoner exchange deal involving him and other Americans detained in Russia may be in the offing.
The Kremlin, when asked by Reuters earlier today about the possibility of such an exchange, declined to comment.
IDF sees no indication Houthi drone attack was aimed at US embassy branch
Caution tape surrounds debris at the scene of a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv, early July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Erik Marmor)
The Israeli military currently has no intelligence indicating that the overnight Houthi drone attack was aimed at the United States’ Tel Aviv Embassy Branch Office.
The explosive-laden drone passed by the embassy compound and struck a residential building some 150 meters away, footage has shown.
EU promises PA $435 million in emergency financing — if it moves ahead with reforms
A man walks outside the municipality building in the West Bank city of Ramallah on May 24, 2024, adorned with flags of Spain, Ireland and Norway. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)
The European Commission says it will provide the Palestinian Authority with 400 million euros ($435.5 million) in emergency financial support in the coming two months.
The money will be disbursed in the form of grants and loans in three payments between July and September, subject to progress in the implementation of the reform agenda of the Palestinian Authority, the Commission says.
Victim of Houthi drone attack named as Yevgeny Ferder, 50
Members of the Israeli security forces are seen where a drone exploded in Tel Aviv on July 19, 2024. (Sharon Aronowicz/AFP)
The victim of the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv early this morning has been named as Yevgeny Ferder from Tel Aviv.
Hebrew media outlets initially reported that Ferder moved to Israel from Belarus two years ago with the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, but his niece denies this, saying he had lived in Israel for three decades and served in the reserves.
Ferder reportedly worked at a hotel in Tel Aviv that was hit by the drone.
הותר לפרסום: ההרוג מפגיעת הכטב"ם – יבגני פרדר, בן 50 מתל אביב. יהי זכרו ברוך pic.twitter.com/cioU8vxrDg
— ynet עדכוני (@ynetalerts) July 19, 2024
Hamas, Islamic Jihad call on PLO to withdraw recognition of Israel
Palestinian terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad call on the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization to withdraw its recognition of Israel in retaliation for a resolution approved by the Knesset rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The two groups made the announcement late last night following a meeting in the Gulf nation of Qatar between Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Islamic Jihad chief Ziad Nakhaleh and his deputy Mohammed al-Hindi, according to a Hamas statement.
The two groups says the Palestinian people have the right to set up their own independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
PM’s office says Netanyahu received real-time updates on drone attack
A police officer collects glass shrapnel from the window of a building that was damaged in a drone strike in Tel Aviv on July 19, 2024. (Gil Cohen-Magen / AFP)
The Prime Minister’s Office tells reporters that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was updated in real time overnight amid the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv.
Netanyahu just wrapped up a security briefing via phone with the heads of the security establishment, his office says, in his first acknowledgment of the attack, which killed one person and lightly wounded several others.
Kremlin declines to comment on possible prisoner swap for Evan Gershkovich
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the First Appeals Court of General Jurisdiction in Moscow, Russia, April 23, 2024. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)
The Kremlin declines to comment on the possibility of a prisoner swap with the United States involving detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
A Russian court unexpectedly said earlier today that it will pronounce its verdict in the espionage trial of Gershkovich within hours after state prosecutors demanded he be jailed for 18 years for spying.
When asked by Reuters if an exchange deal involving Gershkovich was possible, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says: “I’ll leave your question unanswered.”
Speaking earlier on a different subject, Peskov said there is practically no dialogue with the Biden administration at the moment.
Sirens ring out again in several Galilee towns
Air raid sirens sound again in a number of towns in the Galilee including Mi’ilya and Avdon.
These sirens are just the latest in a string of warnings across the Galilee throughout the day.
UN warns that ‘anarchy’ is spreading in Gaza including ‘looting, mob justice, extortion’
Displaced Palestinians wait to receive for food at a food distribution point, set up by young men from the Madhoun family in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip on July 18, 2024. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)
The United Nations human rights office (OHCHR) warns that “anarchy” is spreading in the Gaza Strip, with rampant looting, unlawful killings and shootings as the population faces a humanitarian crisis.
Ajith Sunghay, head of OHCHR for Gaza and the West Bank, describes unlawful killings and looting in the absence of law enforcement linked to “Israel’s dismantling of local capacity to maintain public order and safety in Gaza.”
“Our office has documented alleged unlawful killings of local police and humanitarian workers, and the strangulation of supplies indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. Anarchy is spreading,” says Sunghay, who returned from a visit to Gaza yesterday.
Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for OHCHR, says the conditions in Gaza have “led to the predictable and entirely foreseeable unraveling of the fabric of society in Gaza, setting people against one another in a fight for survival and tearing communities apart.”
“There is looting, mob justice, extortion of money, family disputes, random shootings, fighting for space and resources, and we see youths armed with sticks manning barricades,” he says.
Fresh air raid sirens sound in several northern border towns
Fresh air raid sirens sound in a number of communities along the border with Israel, including Adamit and Arab Al-Aramshe.
New UK government says it is lifting block on funding of UNRWA
A Palestinian woman walks past a damaged wall bearing the UNRWA logo at a camp for internally displaced people in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 28, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP)
Britain’s new Labour government says it will resume funding to the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA.
Britain was one of several countries to halt their funding to UNRWA following accusations by Israel that some of the agency’s staff were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
New British Foreign Minister David Lammy tells parliament that he was reassured that the agency had taken steps to “ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality.”
“I can confirm to the house that we are overturning the suspension of UNRWA funding, Britain will provide 21 million [pounds] in funds” to the agency, he says.
New footage shows deadly Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv
Members of the Israeli security forces are seen where a drone exploded in Tel Aviv on July 19, 2024. (Sharon Aronowicz/AFP)
New footage shows the deadly Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv early this morning.
The video, filmed by a beachgoer, shows the explosive-laden drone flying at a low altitude into Tel Aviv from the direction of the sea, before impacting an apartment building.
One person was killed and eight others were wounded in the attack.
New footage shows the Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv early this morning. pic.twitter.com/aEuF8cjIwU
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) July 19, 2024
Air raid sirens sound in several Galilee towns
Air raid sirens sound in a number of towns in the Upper Galilee, including Zar’it, Shomera and Even Menahem.
Earlier, sirens sounded in the border town of Metula.
Gallant says Israel will ‘settle the score’ with anyone who seeks to harm it
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (center) meets with IDF chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi (right) and other security officials on July 19, 2024. (Itay Kedem/Defense Ministry)
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, following an assessment with IDF officials on the deadly Houthi drone attack on Tel Aviv, says Israel will respond.
“The defense establishment is working to immediately strengthen all defense systems, and will settle the score with anyone who harms the State of Israel or directs terror against it,” he says, in remarks provided by his office.
Gallant met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, head of the Operations Directorate Maj. Gen. Oded Basiuk, head of the Intelligence Directorate Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the Israeli Air Force’s chief of staff Brig. Gen. Omer Tischler and the head of the Intelligence Directorate’s research division, Brig. Gen. Ofir Mizrahi Rosen.
‘Increasing signs’ indicate Muhammad Deif was killed in Gaza strike, says IDF
Footage posted to X purporting to show an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, July 13, 2024. (Screenshot, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law); Inset: The head of Hamas's military wing Muhammad Deif in undated photos revealed in January 2024 (Israel Defense Forces)
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military is seeing “increasing signs” that Muhammad Deif was killed in last weekend’s strike in the Gaza Strip.
“The signs are increasing as to the success of the elimination of Muhammad Deif,” Hagari says in response to a question at a press conference.
“[Hamas commander] Rafa’a Salameh was definitely eliminated. Deif and Salameh were next to each other at the time of the strike. Hamas is hiding what happened to Deif,” he says.
Verdict in Evan Gershkovich trial expected today as prosecutors seek 18-year sentence
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Yekaterinburg, Russia, June 26, 2024. (AP)
Russian prosecutors at the trial of US journalist Evan Gershkovich request that he be jailed for 18 years on charges of spying, Russian news agencies report.
A verdict will be passed in the trial of the Jewish Wall Street Journal reporter within hours, the agencies say. Gershkovich, his newspaper and the US government all reject the accusation of spying.
IDF says Iranian-made drone which struck Tel Aviv was likely launched from Yemen
An Israeli firefighter investigates the scene of a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv, July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says in a press conference that the military estimates that the explosive-laden drone that struck Tel Aviv overnight was launched by the Iran-backed Houthis from Yemen.
After reaching Israel from Yemen, the drone made its way to Tel Aviv from the direction of the sea, he says.
Hagari says the drone was an Iranian-made Samad-3, which had been modified to have an extended range.
He says that dozens of drones have been launched at Israel from Yemen amid the ongoing war, most of them shot down by US forces and others by Israeli fighter jets.
Hagari says the military will hold assessments on the attack in the coming days to understand what it needs to adjust to better defend, and “what the required offensive response will be against those who threaten Israel.”
More than a dozen hospitals in Israel affected by IT outage but continue to operate
Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem on October 15, 2008. (Yossi Zamir/Flash 90)
The Health Ministry says that the global IT outage has affected more than a dozen hospitals in Israel, including Shaare Zedek in Jerusalem, Laniado in Netanya, Barzilai in Ashkelon, Wolfson in Holon and a number of others, as well as the healthcare provider Meuhedet.
The affected hospitals are operating on a manual basis now, as their digital services are inaccessible. The ministry stresses that patient care is not affected, and the hospitals are prepared for such an outage following drills.
Ambulances are nevertheless being told to take patients to unaffected hospitals, the ministry says.
Hezbollah claims responsibility for rocket attack on north
The Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept an attack from Lebanon over the Galilee region as seen from the Golan Heights, July 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
Hezbollah takes responsibility for a rocket attack on northern Israel this morning.
In a statement, the terror group claims to have fired dozens of rockets at the community of Abirim in response to recent IDF strikes in southern Lebanon.
There are no reports of injuries in the attack.
Judo head coach says he’ll attend Olympics weeks after son killed fighting in Gaza
Oren Smadga (center) attends the funeral of his son, Omer Smadga, who was killed fighting in Gaza, in Netanya on June 21, 2024. (Flash90)
The Olympic Committee of Israel confirms that the head coach of the men’s judo team, Oren Smadga, will travel to the Paris Olympics as part of the delegation just weeks after his son was killed fighting in Gaza.
Oren Smadga, who won a bronze medal for Israel at the 1992 Olympic Games, says that he will nevertheless head up the men’s judo team, flying to Paris just over a month after his son, Sgt. First Class (res.) Omer Smadga, 25, was killed in a Hamas mortar attack in central Gaza.
“Amid all the difficulty and the pain I know that I must carry out my mission and my commitment in front of the world, in particular at this time,” Smadga says in a statement provided by the OCI. “We will go to the competition with our heads held high, out of adherence to the goal and the spirit of brotherhood which strengthens us always, in particular now.”
Sirens sound in several towns near Mount Meron
Air raid sirens sound in a number of towns near Mount Meron, warning of a missile attack.
Days before Olympics, French police arrest man for attacking cab driver in name of Hamas
Police officers stand in front of the building of French National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) before the first results of the second round of France's legislative election in Paris on July 7, 2024. (ALAIN JOCARD / AFP)
French police arrested a man today on terrorism charges who is accused of trying to murder a taxi driver with a knife while expressing support for the Hamas terror group, a source at the terrorism prosecutor’s office says.
France is on its highest state of security as it gears up to host millions of visitors, athletes and world leaders during the Paris Olympic Summer Games, kicking off on July 26.
The man, already known by authorities as someone who had been radicalized, stopped a taxi on Tuesday night while brandishing a gun in the city of Le Mans, and asked to be taken to an isolated area near Ferte-Bernard. He then forced the driver out of the car, bound him and attacked his neck with the blade, the source says.
The driver managed to escape to a local resident’s home, where he was eventually treated by emergency services. The assailant was arrested early this morning in Yvelines, west of Paris, the source says.
He is being investigated on terrorism, attempted murder and kidnapping charges, the source says.
The Olympics opening ceremony is slated for one week from today, and delegations and athletes will begin arriving early next week. Israel has said that it has doubled its security budget for the games this year amid a high threat alert linked to the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
Global malfunction hits airlines, banks, news outlets, health systems around the world
Travelers stand in front of an information board at BER Airport in Berlin, Germany, Dec. 18, 2021. (Joerg Carstensen/dpa via AP)
An apparent global malfunction linked to the IT security firm Crowdstrike on Microsoft’s Windows operating system has caused worldwide outages at banks, airlines, news outlets, health systems and other organizations around the world.
The airport in Berlin has halted flights, the UK health booking system is offline and Australian media outlets as well as British Sky News are not operational as a result of the outage which appears to be linked to the same software glitch.
A number of major airlines including Delta, United and American Airlines temporarily halted flights, while several airports around the world said their activities were affected, including all airports in Spain.
In Israel, the fault has affected some hospitals as well as the Israel Postal Service and some news outlets. Flights may be delayed at Ben Gurion Airport due to delays elsewhere linked to the outage, the airport says.
The Haaretz news site reports that its customer service operations are down.
Opposition MKs say drone attack on Tel Aviv is proof of government’s failures
Caution tape surrounds debris at the scene of a deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv, early July 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Erik Marmor)
Opposition leader Yair Lapid says that the deadly overnight drone attack on Tel Aviv “is further proof that this government doesn’t know how and isn’t able to provide the citizens of Israel with security.”
Lapid adds that anyone who “loses deterrence in the north and the south, loses it also in the heart of Tel Aviv.” The opposition leader accuses the government of having “no policy, no plan — everything is public relations and discussions about themselves.”
After an election, Lapid says, “We will know how to establish a functioning and efficient government that will restore security and strength to Israel.”
Yisrael Beytenu party leader Avigdor Liberman tweets that “those who don’t prevent missiles on Kiryat Shmona and Eilat should not be surprised when they get them in Tel Aviv,” calling the drone strike a “direct result of the policy of containment and surrender” led by the current government, “which refuses to wake up from the events of October 7.”
New Hope party leader Gideon Sa’ar says the event in Tel Aviv was a “serious malfunction that had a painful price,” and that the key to regional quiet “is and remains the defeat of Hamas in Gaza.”
Yair Golan, the leader of the combined Labor-Meretz list, says the drone attack shows a “complete failure” of the government and says Israel “needs elections now” to ensure security for the residents of Israel.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has been at odds with the government in recent months while demanding a greater say, says that “when you accept rocket fire at Kiryat Shmona and Sderot, you get rocket fire on Tel Aviv… We can and must change the preconception,” he says. “This is exactly why I insist on being at the table making policy for Israel.”
PA’s Abbas to meet Putin in Russia next month
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas pose for a photo at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, November 23, 2021. (Yevgeny Biyatov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will visit Russia on Aug 12-14 and meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug 13, Russian state-run news agency RIA Novosti reports, citing a diplomatic source.
Security firm says Singapore-flagged ship hit by projectiles off Yemen
A handout picture obtained from Yemen's Houthi Ansarullah Media Center on June 30, 2024, shows what they said is the Tufan Destroyer unmanned boat during exercises in an undisclosed area at sea. (Ansarullah media center / AFP)
Projectiles struck a container ship off the coast of Yemen today without causing any injuries, an attack likely carried out by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, maritime security firm Ambrey says.
“A Singapore-flagged container ship was ‘hit’ by projectiles” 80 nautical miles (148 kilometers) southeast of the Yemeni port city of Aden, Ambrey says in an advisory, adding that no injuries were reported in the attack that is consistent with previous Houthi operations, and occurred the same day the rebels claimed a drone strike on Tel Aviv.
Health Ministry says global malfunction affecting hospitals, but is not cyber attack
Security guards near the ambulance that brought wounded citizens from the terror attack in the Jordan Valley, at the Hadassah Mt. Scopus Hospital in Jerusalem, March 28, 2024. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
The Health Ministry says that there is a global outage in computer services that is also affecting a number of hospitals in Israel.
In a statement, the ministry stresses that it is not a cyber attack but rather a technical malfunction in a program that is used around the world.
Separately, the Magen David Adom ambulance service says that its emergency hotlines are experiencing an outage, and that those needing their services should call the police.
Other countries are reporting technical issues with news outlets, banks and airlines in the apparent outage linked to the Crowdstrike cyber security company.
Closing arguments begin in Russian trial of US reporter Evan Gershkovich
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Yekaterinburg, Russia, June 26, 2024. (AP)
A Russian court begins hearing closing arguments in the trial of US reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been charged with “espionage” in a case condemned as a sham by Washington.
“The judge has entered the courtroom. The closing arguments have begun,” court spokeswoman Yekaterina Maslennikova tells journalists at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Yekaterinburg, where the trial of the Jewish Wall Street Journal reporter is taking place behind closed doors.
IDF shoots down suspected drone from Lebanon, says military
A suspected drone that entered Israeli airspace from Lebanon half an hour ago was shot down by air defenses, the IDF says.
Sirens had sounded in the Galilee over fears of falling shrapnel.
There are no injuries.
Fresh sirens sound in several towns in Galilee
Sirens sound in Abirim, Fassuta, Shtula and several other towns in the Galilee warning of a missile attack.
Drone warning sirens sound in Upper Galilee
Sirens warning of a possible drone attack sound in a few towns in the Upper Galilee.
Houthis officially claim Tel Aviv drone attack, vow to continue targeting city
Members of the Israeli security forces are seen where a drone exploded in Tel Aviv on July 19, 2024. (Sharon Aronowicz/AFP)
Yemen’s Houthis’ military spokesperson says the group attacked Tel Aviv with a drone and will continue to target Israel in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.
The spokesman says that Tel Aviv will continue to be a primary target for the terror group “within the range of our weapons.”
The group claims that it launched a drone which can bypass radar detection systems. The IDF says its initial probe shows that the drone was detected by air defenses but was not shot down due to human error.
One person was killed and several wounded after the drone impacted an apartment in Tel Aviv.
IDF says drone targeting Tel Aviv was identified but not shot down due to human error
Israeli policemen at the scene where an drone exploded in Tel Aviv on July 19, 2024. (Gil Cohen-Magen/AFP)
According to an initial Israeli Air Force investigation into the overnight drone attack on Tel Aviv, the explosive-laden UAV had been identified, but due to a human error, it was not engaged by air defenses.
As no action was taken against the identified target — now confirmed to be a large long-range attack drone — no warning sirens had sounded.
The drone directly impacted an apartment in Tel Aviv at 3:12 a.m., after entering the city from the direction of the sea. The origin of the drone is still being probed by the IAF.
The IAF so far believes the drone came from the southern direction, possibly Yemen, although it is not ruling out other launch sites, such as Iraq or Syria.
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen took responsibility for the attack, a claim that the IAF has not yet verified.
US CENTCOM’s announcement of Houthi missiles and four drones being destroyed, occurred yesterday morning and is not directly related to the overnight attack.
Also overnight, one drone heading toward Israel from the eastern direction, likely originating from Iraq, was shot down by fighter jets outside of Israeli airspace.
The IAF says the deadly incident “shouldn’t have happened” and it takes full responsibility for the failure that led to the deadly attack.
One man was killed and another four were wounded in the attack on Tel Aviv.
Sirens sound in northern town of Metula; IDF: False alarm
Air raid sirens sound in the northern border town of Metula, warning of a possible missile attack.
The military later says that the sirens were determined to be false alarms.
Report: Houthis shot ballistic missile, 4 drones at Tel Aviv, most shot down by US
Israeli police and first responders gather at the scene of a deadly explosion in Tel Aviv, early Friday, July 19, 2024. (AP/Erik Marmor)
A report in the Saudi-based Al Arabiya news outlet cites sources claiming that the Houthi terror group fired a ballistic missile and four drones at Israel overnight.
The missile and three of the drones were reportedly shot down by US forces based in the region, and only the fourth drone managed to reach Tel Aviv, where it apparently exploded in the air, with the shrapnel killing one person and wounding others.
Trump pledges to build an Israeli-style Iron Dome system to protect US
Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump again pledges to build an Iron Dome missile defense system for the United States akin to the one Israel has.
“Israel has an Iron Dome. They have a missile defense system. Three-hundred and forty-two missiles were shot into Israel, and only one got through a little bit,” Trump says in his nearly hour-and-a-half-long speech at the Republican National Convention, referencing the April Iran missile attack on Israel.
“Why should other countries have this and we don’t? No, we’re going to build an Iron Dome over our country and we’re going to be sure that nothing can come and harm our people,” he says.
It is not clear what threat Trump is trying to thwart, as Iron Dome is only capable of intercepting short-range rockets — not a danger the US has ever faced along its borders.
Tel Aviv mayor says city going into high alert after deadly drone attack
Members of the Israeli security forces are seen where a drone exploded in Tel Aviv on July 19, 2024. (Sharon Aronowicz/AFP)
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai says in a statement that the city is “moving to a higher state of alert” following the deadly overnight drone attack.
“The war is still here, and it is difficult and painful,” Huldai adds. “We are prepared for developments, if there will be any,” he says, calling on the public to follow all instructions.
Trump threatens those holding US hostages: You’ll pay ‘a very big price’ if they’re not freed
Republican presidential candidate former president Donald Trump speaking during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
MILWAUKEE — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warns that that countries holding American hostages will pay “a very big price” if they are not released.
“To the entire world, I tell you this: We want our hostages back, and they better be back before I assume office, or you will be paying a very big price,” Trump warns in his speech at the Republican National Convention.
Trump does not specify which hostages he is referring to.
There are more than 60 Americans being held hostage or wrongly detained around the world, including eight Americans being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Trump: Oct. 7 wouldn’t have happened if I were president, Iran was broke but is now close to nuke
Former US president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accepts his party's nomination on the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, on July 18, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — Former president Donald Trump reiterates his claim that Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel would not have happened if he were president in his speech at the Republican National Convention in which he accepts his party’s nomination for president.
“I will end every single international crisis that the current administration has created, including the horrible war with Russia and Ukraine — which would have never happened if I was president — and the war caused by the attack on Israel, which would have never happened if I was president,” Trump says.
“Iran was broke. Iran had no money. Now Iran has $250 billion. They made it all over the last two and a half years,” he adds, saying the Biden administration has provided Tehran sanctions relief.
“I told China and other countries if you buy from Iran, we will not let you do any business in this country.”
He repeats his claim that Iran was on the verge of agreeing to negotiate a new deal to more strictly curb its nuclear program before Trump lost the 2020 election.
“Iran was going to make a deal with us, and then we had that horrible, horrible result that we will never let happen again,” the former president says, repeating his false claim that the election was stolen from him.
“Now Iran is very close to having a nuclear weapon, which would have never happened.”
‘Not supposed to be here’: Trump offers dramatic account of assassination attempt in speech to RNC
Former US president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accepts his party's nomination on the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, on July 18, 2024. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP)
MILWAUKEE — Donald Trump describes how he narrowly survived an attempt on his life, telling a rapt audience at the Republican National Convention in his first speech since the attack that he was only there “by the grace of Almighty God.”
“I heard a loud whizzing sound and felt something hit me really, really hard on my right ear,” he says in Milwaukee, a thick bandage still covering his ear. “I said to myself, ‘Wow, what was that? It can only be a bullet.”
When he tells the crowd that he was “not supposed to be here,” the crowd chants back, “Yes you are!” With photos of a bloodied Trump showing on screens behind him, Trump praises the Secret Service agents that rushed to his side and pays tribute to the volunteer firefighter who was killed, Corey Comperatore, kissing his fire helmet.
The former president struck an unusually conciliatory tone during the speech’s opening moments, when he formally accepted the party’s presidential nomination.
“I am running to be president for all of America, not half of America, because there is no victory in winning for half of America,” he said, in a marked shift in tenor for the typically bellicose former president.
But he swiftly pivoted to well-worn attacks on the Biden administration, claiming without evidence that his criminal indictments are politically motivated efforts to prevent his election.
The speech caps a four-day event in which he was greeted with adulation by a party that now appears entirely in his thrall.
Ambulance service says shrapnel from drone killed man in Tel Aviv; 8 hospitalized
In an update, the Magen David Adom ambulance service says that a man has been killed by shrapnel from the explosion of a drone in Tel Aviv.
According to the ambulance service, the man was found lifeless in a nearby building.
It also says eight people have been taken to local hospitals, four of whom were wounded by shrapnel or the shock wave of the blast. The other four are being treated for anxiety.
IDF confirms ‘aerial target’ exploded in Tel Aviv, says air force to increase patrols
The Israel Defense Forces confirms the blast in Tel Aviv over two hours ago was caused by a drone, saying an initial probe determined that “an aerial target” impacted the coastal city.
A military statement stresses the matter is under “thorough investigation,” after the drone managed to enter Israeli airspace without setting off sirens.
The IDF also says the air force will increase patrols by fighter jets “to defend Israeli skies”
“There is no change in the Home Front Command’s orders,” it adds.
Cops find body near site of suspected drone attack in Tel Aviv, are checking cause of death
Police say that officers and emergency personnel found a lifeless body while searching the area around the site of a blast in central Tel Aviv, which the IDF is probing as a suspected drone attack.
A statement from police says officers are checking the circumstances of the person’s death.
Houthis say they’ll reveal details on operation targeting Tel Aviv in coming hours
The military spokesman of Yemen’s Houthis says on the X social media website that the rebel group will reveal details about a military operation that targeted Tel Aviv.
IDF probing Tel Aviv blast as suspected attack by ‘aerial target’
The Israel Defense Forces announces that it’s probing the blast in central Tel Aviv, which it suspects was caused by “an aerial target,” a term the military uses for drones.
No air raid sirens were activated in Tel Aviv ahead of the blast.
IDF checking if blast in Tel Aviv caused by drone; at least 2 lightly hurt by shrapnel
A screenshot of security camera video showing the moment of an explosion in Tel Aviv, early July 19, 2024. (X screen capture. Used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
The Magen David Adom ambulance service reports that paramedics are treating a man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s who were both lightly wounded by shrapnel at the site of a major blast in Tel Aviv.
The two were taken to a local hospital.
Police later say that seven people were lightly wounded.
There is still no word from authorities on the cause of the blast. Israeli television reports the IDF and police are checking if it was caused by a drone.
“We call on [local] residents to listen to the Home Front Command’s orders, to refrain from arriving at the scene and not to approach or touch the remnants of rockets, which are likely to contain explosive material,” a police statement says.
The blast was preceded by a whirring sound, according videos from Tel Aviv that are being shared on social media and by Hebrew media outlets.
מטורף: תיעוד פיצוץ הכטב"מ בעיר תל אביב, שומעים זמזום ואז פיצוץ אדיר!
Crazy: Documentation of the UAV explosion in the city of Tel Aviv, you hear a hum and then a huge explosion! https://t.co/DOYFImMPZF pic.twitter.com/wMtqBZHjRg
— יענקי כהן | Yanki Coen (@yankicoen) July 19, 2024
Biden campaign co-chair disputes NYT: ‘He’s running and it’s the end of the story’
President Joe Biden speaks at a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, Friday, June 28, 2024. (AP/Matt Kelley)
Biden’s campaign co-chair tells MSNBC that “the New York Times reporting is absolutely wrong,” after the newspaper said the US president appears to accept he may have to end his reelection bid.
“The president has said that he is running and it’s the end of story,” says Cedric Richmond.
Police say sappers dispatched to scene of massive boom in Tel Aviv
Police say they have dispatched sappers and other forces to a building in Tel Aviv where a massive boom was reported.
A statement from the force notes the reports of a blast, without further commenting.
Sound of major boom reported in Tel Aviv; no immediate word on source
Residents of Tel Aviv report hearing the sound of a major boom in the coastal city.
There is no immediate word on the source of the blast.
US House speaker: Anyone who ‘gets out of hand’ during Netanyahu’s speech could face arrest
US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, speaks during the second day of the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — US House Speaker Mike Johnson says some Democratic lawmakers may try to interrupt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress next week but that they will be arrested if need be.
“There are a number of Democrats in the House who have said they’re going to boycott that event. Some others may protest,” Johnsons says in an address to an event organized by the Republican Jewish Coalition on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
“We’re going to have extra sergeants at arms on the floor. If anybody gets out of hand… We’re going to arrest people if we have to do it,” he adds.
Israel’s soccer team cleared to play in Olympics as FIFA delays decision on possible ban
Israel supporters cheer during the Euro 2024 qualifying play-off soccer match between Israel and Iceland, at Szusza Ferenc Stadium in Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, March 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
ZURICH — FIFA has postponed a decision on a Palestinian proposal to suspend Israel from international soccer because of the conflict with Hamas, clearing the way for the Israeli men’s national team to play at the Paris Olympics.
Soccer’s world governing body had been set to make a decision Saturday at an extraordinary council meeting after asking for an independent legal assessment of the Palestinian proposal two months ago. That decision would have come just four days before the start of the Olympic soccer tournament, where Israel has been drawn into a group with Japan, Mali and Paraguay.
However, FIFA says that it has pushed back the timeline because “more time is needed to conclude this process with due care and completeness” — meaning a decision is now set to come after the Olympics have finished.
FIFA says both parties have made requests for extensions “to submit their respective positions” and that the independent assessment will now be shared with FIFA by August 31 at the latest.
The men’s Olympic final is set to take place on August 9.
Speaking on RNC sidelines, Pompeo rejects Palestinian Authority rule in Gaza after war
Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo speaks to reporters at a Republican Jewish Coalition event on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on July 18, 2024. (Jacob Magid/Times of Israel)
MILWAUKEE — Former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo echoes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in rejecting the installation of the Palestinian Authority as the governing body in Gaza after Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.
“It cannot be that the government that exists there after [the war] is controlled by Hamas, or the Palestinian Authority, each of which are controlled by terrorists and underwritten by the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, Iran,” Pompeo tells reporters at a Republican Jewish Coalition event on the sidelines of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
While Iran backs Hamas, it is not known to fund the PA.
He also asserts that Israel cannot allow continued weapons smuggling from Egypt into Gaza after the war and that either Israel will have to place troops along the Philadelphi Corridor or a mechanism will have to be put in place to ensure that arms cannot flow into the Strip.
Netanyahu’s new demand in for Israeli troops to remain at the Philadelphi Corridor has slowed negotiations for a hostage release and ceasefire agreement that had been progressing since Hamas softened some of its demands in recent weeks, an Israeli official and an Arab mediator have told The Times of Israel.
Pompeo tells reporters he’d be happy to serve under Trump again if asked.
NYT: Biden appears to start accepting he may have to drop out of US election
US President Joe Biden steps off of Air Force One upon arrival at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, on July 17, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/AFP)
WASHINGTON — US President Joe Biden has begun to accept the idea that he may not be able to win the November 5 election and may have to drop out of the race, the New York Times reports, citing several people close to the president.
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